New Pattern: Tiny Dogs mittens

They are here, the Tiny Dogs mittens! For all you lovers of dogs in general and chihuahuas specifically.

Knitted with a fingering yarn on needles US 2½ - 3.0 mm. An easy peasy knit for anyone familiar with stranded knitting.

As of now available on Ravelry.

Exclusive Pattern Preview: Tiny Dogs

Yesterday a good friend of mine kindly asked me if I could help her with a gift for her sister's 40th birthday. She wanted to custom order something pink or purple, with chihuahua dogs, since those are her sister's favourites. Said and done! As I'm pretty sure the sister doesn't read my blog I now present you with a sneak preview of my latest pattern: Tiny Dogs mittens! I have really good feelings about this one...

New Pattern: Blue is For Science mittens!

... or Spock Quote Mittens Mark 2, as I also like to call them.

I've been working on this design since the beginning of this year, and even finished test knitting Mark 1 before I decided I wasn't 100 % happy with the layout. Back to the drawing board I went, and now I am finally happy to announce the arrival of a pattern I absolutely love!

The Blue is For Science mitten pattern can be bought through Ravelry (here) and is meant to be part of a Star Trek pattern set of six.

Already on the test knitting needles are another blue pair (Blue is For Medical with a McCoy quote), and in my mind awaits two yellow pairs (Gold is For Command with quotes from Kirk and Chekov) and two red pairs (Red is For Engineering and Red is For Security with quotes from Scotty and Uhura). So keep a look out for more Star Trek right here!

If at first you don´t succeed...

I am currently over the moon in love with my latest design, the Firefly inspired #BetrayalMittens. But that has not always been the case. I've struggled with every little bit of the process so far, but now I finally feel the pieces all falling into place.

It all started when I, as the last sci-fi lover in the 'verse, binge watched Firefly over a couple of days. Of course I fell madly in love and knew right away I had to make a mitten pattern.

Said and done, I took my idea and sat down in front of the computer. A few hours later I had... nothing. It just didn't click. At all.

A few days later I gave it another try and came up with a design I kind of liked. I went out and bought the yarn and cozied up on the sofa to start test knitting. I took one look at the pattern and it just felt totally wrong. Sigh!

So back to the drawing pad I went and changed the design and colouring. Bought some new yarn and put the whole project on the shelf for a while. I was already sick of it and I hadn't even knitted a stitch.

But skam den som ger sig, as we say in Sweden (it means something like "shame on he who gives up"). During Christmas I started the test knitting. And of course the size was way off on the lined cuff. And of course the base colour and the green didn't work together. I stuffed the knitting back on the shelf and considered never knitting another stitch in my life.

But that was never going to happen. Obviously. After a day or to I frogged the cuff, found some more fitting yarn from my stash and started knitting with different numbers and colours. This time it felt pretty good. I kind of liked it a little!

Now, after tweaking the design some more, I am convinced this is a new favourite. I just hope the feeling lasts all the way to cast off.

Free Knitting Pattern: Steely Man Socks

My son and I have one big interest in common; superheroes. We love to watch the movies, play the games and talk about the characters and their powers. One interest we do not share on the other hand, is knits. I love to make them – he hates to wear them. Everything itches – alpaca, merino, even cotton! But finally I came up with a solution I should have thought of from the beginning: Make superhero knits and the kid will wear it.

Said and done, I sat down and scribbled down a few notes that turned into The Steely Man Socks. A tribute to the man of steel. I love them, my son loves them and I’m pretty sure even Superman himself wants a a pair. Make them for your favourite kid, or your own inner child.

You need 

Yarn: Marks & Kattens Superwash Safir, 128 m/50 g (149 yards/1.76 ounces). One ball each of blue, red and yellow for sizes 3 and 4. Two balls of blue, and one each of red and yellow for sizes 5, 6 and 7. You can use any suitable sport weight yarn, but keep in mind that the end result may vary with different yarns.
Needles: Circulars or DPN’s in sizes 3 mm, 3,5 mm and 4,5 mm (US 2.5, 4 and 7)
Other stuff: Needle to weave in ends

 Sizes 

Age: (years): 3, 4, (5, 6, 7)
Foot lenght: 15, 17, (18, 20, 22) cm / 6″, 6 3/4, (7″, 8″, 8 3/4″)

The size shown is 4 years. If you want to make adult sized socks, it’s a piece of cake. Use your favourite sock pattern and adjust the cape to fit.

Sock Pattern 

With yellow yarn CO 45, 45, (48, 48, 51) sts on size 3 mm / US 2.5 needles.
K 1 round, then work K1P2 rib for 2,5 cm / 1″.

On next round dec 7 sts evenly so that 38, 38, (41, 412, 44) remain.
Switch to blue yarn and needles size 3,5 mm / US 4. Knit stockinette st in the round until piece measures 14, 15, (16, 17, 18) cm / 5½”, 6″, (6 1/4″, 6 3/4″, 7″)

Now keep the first 23, 23, (23, 23, 26) sts on needle for heel and slip the last 15, 15, (18, 18, 18) sts on to the cable of the circular.
Change to red yarn and work in stockinette st back and forth over heel sts for 4½, 4½, (5, 5, 5) cm / 1 3/4″, 1 3/4″, (2″, 2″, 2″).

Now it is time for the heel decrease:
Row 1 (RS): K until last 7, 7, (7, 7, 8) sts, slip 1 st as if to K, K 1, psso, turn piece.
Row 2 (WS): P until last 7, 7, (7, 7, 8) sts, slip 1 st as if to P, P 1, psso, turn piece.
Row 3 (RS): K until last 6, 6, (6, 6, 7) sts, slip 1 st as if to K, K 1, psso, turn piece.
Row 4 (WS): P until last 6, 6, (6, 6, 7) sts, slip 1 st as if to P, P 1, psso, turn piece.

Continue like this, with 1 st less before every dec, until 11, 11, (11, 11, 12) sts remain on needle.

With blue yarn, pick up and knit 10, 10, (11, 11, 11) sts on each side of the red heel, and slip the 15, 15, (18, 18, 18) sts from the cable back on needle. Keep these 15 or 18 sts on one needle and heel stitches on the other needle. You now have 46, 46, (51, 51, 52) sts.

Now it is time for the instep decrease. Continue knitting stockinette st in the round. On the 1st round dec in each side as follows:
K the last 2 sts before the 15 or 18 sts on top of foot tog and K the first 2 sts after the 15 or 18 sts twisted tog. Repeat this dec every other round 3, 3, (4, 4, 4) more times. You now have 38, 38, (41, 41, 42) sts. 

Keep knitting in stockinette st until the foot sole measures 11, 13, (14, 16, 18) cm / 4½”, 5″, (5½”, 6 1/4″, 7″).

For size 5 and 6 only: 
Knit one round and decrease 1 st so that 40 sts remain. Change to red yarn and arrange the sts so that you have 19, 19, (20-20-21) sts on each needle.

Now start the decreases for the toe as follows:
Round 1: *ssk, knit to last 2 sts on needle, k2tog*, repeat * to * once more.
Round 2: K all sts Repeat rounds 1-2 a total of 4, 4, (3, 3, 3) times.

Now repeat only round 1 an additional 2-2 (4-4-4) times.
On next round K2tog around. Cut the thread and pull it through remaining sts, tighten and fasten.

Now it’s time for the cape!

Cape Pattern 

The cape is knitted back and forth in stockinette st.
With red yarn and size 4,5 / US 7 needles pick up and knit 4 sts on the right side of the back of the cuff, CO somewhere around 12-18 st, and then pick up and knit 4 sts on the left side of the cuff.

Does it sound complicated? Look at the image below and I am sure it will all make more sense.

Row 1 (RS): K all sts
Row 2 (WS): P all sts
Row 3: K5, m1, K to 5 last sts, m1, K5
Row 4: P all sts
Row 5-8: Continue in stockinette st
Row 9: K5, m1, K to 5 last sts, m1, K5

Continue knitting in stockinette st until cape reaches desired lenght (I made mine approximately 10 cm / 4″ long) then bind off loosely.

Finishing 

Weave in all loose ends and block the cape slightly so that it doesn’t curl. Unpin and go play!

Introducing: The Wibbly Wobbly mittens!

As you may or may not have noticed I am an enormously big fan of Doctor Who. But how could I best express my eternal love and fascination for Ten and one of the scariest monsters ever? By designing mittens of course!

Wibbly wobbly quote, weeping angels, Tardises and sonic screwdrivers, all in one friggin fantastic knit.

Be sure to check out my Instagram feed for a behind the scenes picture of when we shot the images for the pdf pattern.

The pattern itself can be foundt at Ravelry and Etsy.

Allons-y!